Locking mechanism for binders



Dec. 25, 1934. P. o. UNGER 1,985,700

LOCKING MECHANISM FOR B1NDERS Filed June 15, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 W 1 II fa 0 Zlizer Dec. 25, 1934. P. o. UNGER LOCKING MECHANISM FOR BINDERS Filed June 15, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 V5.17 DE fazd 002172 ef'o P. O. UNGER LOCKING MECHANISM FOR BINpERs Dec.-25, 1934.

Filed June-15, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 lllil'lllll'illl lllllillllvl IIIII 1 1221-7 ca; Paul 0,4, Zhzgef;

Patented Dec. 25, 1934 L K NGYM QC F R Dimes,

Massachusetts ,This invention relates cto: locking mechanism for==loose leaf binders. 5: In "certain types .of loose leaf binders, the sides of the binder-may be expandedmr; contracted through; the used telescopic; posts. '1' Springs are usually, confined in certain posts and-are designed for expanding or separatingvthe JEtWO: binder heads: Locking mechanism is usually providedin other posts for resisting the tendency of theh-springs to expand the binder. i I'his invention concerns itself more particularly with; the locking :meansiin certain ofithetelescopic posts forlockingthe binder heads. in their adjusted tposition. v i 1:. i

;; ;'I'he; invention; comprises the novel structure and: combination of parts hereinafter described andmoreparticularly pointed out and defined in the appendedcclaimsw l In the 1 accompanying vdrawings which illustra-te a; preferred; formot this invention and :in which similar reference numerals refer to similartfeatureswinthediiferentwiewsz: 1- 1 -i -Figure l isa rear elevationalview'of' 5510056 leaf binder involving this invention. wi "a;

Figure-:2 3 is -a fragmentary iplan view of such' a binder. "i is "Y 1; 111:: In: Figure 3 is an interior fragmentary plangview fisaidfbind a t m Figure 4 is;-'an enlarged sectional viewf'taken upon theline I'YrFIVWOf -;1Figur,ew2 looking in the direction of-thearrows andsshowingasomei parts in elevation. 4" it a i a it.

m Figure, 5 is an enlargedrsectional' view;v taken uponi-the, line VT-V'of Figure 4,;1ookingimtheadirection. of wthe arrows and showingparts; in eleivation."-'--";11" V 1: 'zr' t. Hm-Mi T a; Figure 16- is i an ;-enlarged; sectional viewv through one of the locking posts illustrated in-Figure4.

rF-igure -7 is a sectional view of 1a modified form ofvlocking postthat-may-be usedr, 7'9 i Figure; ,8 is a view similar {to @Fig; 5 showing -a modified formof locking postin the binderi-n t The i loose leaf binder to which 1 this: invention is .-applied,consistszof a back portion 1 and aapair pf clamping members 2 and 3; which are relatively movable with respect tothe-back portion-as -is well-known-dn the art wCover members- 4 are hin ed to the .front'edges QL-the clamping members 2 and 3 as is customary inwthe art. Thetwo clamping; members; are connected bya pair of telescopic posts 5 havingcoiled springs 7 in the interiorfihermf-whichnormally tend to expand or -,separate the clamping members. 'These clamping members-2 and 3 are also' connected bya pair of telescopic locking posts :6; In- Figure 1, t one post of each pain ';is; shown in section; "It

i Paul finger, Chicago, 111;, assigns: tqIWilscn -=JonesCompany,-0hicago; Ill a corporation of g will be noted rthatft he telescopic consists H the post will-normallyjt'end toseparate the .heads.

: Each locking post consists of a pair of telescopic sections provided with heads 6a secured; to the different-1 clamping headsziof the binder. Qne

head has: 'a'n;external sleeve portion 6b that tele-' scopes over the interiorvsleeve porti0n6c ofthe other section; "Bothrof thesewlocking postsare similar in construction 'and :a' section upon "an enlarged scale has been illustrated in Figure, 6 to which reference mayinow be had. It will be noted that the interior sleeve: section 60 has an upper end bearing '8 secured therein land a lower sleeve bearing 9 secured'therein. The'lower sleeve-bear: ing 9 is providedwith a'notch or-openin ihaving an upper sloping wall 10: and alower "horizontal wall 11; j :Thesleeve'fic'is also provided with an opening in alignment with the ,"opening in the sleevetmember 9; Alock actuating rod 12=is-slidably'm'ounted in the sleeve bearings 8 and i 9 and isprovided with acollarl3adjacent the bearing 8. A coil spring 14 surrounds the-rod; 12 and abutsthe' collar 13a'nd the upperu'end' ofthe sleeve bearing 9.\' Thislspring 14 normallytjends to urge the locking" and -12 "upwardly. toggle: locking 'plate"'member or element 15 which may be-semicircular or ani desired shape is mounted in the opening in the bearing9l' Th'lockin'grod 12 is provided with an "aperture 16 terminating in an upper horizontal shoulder 17. It-will also be noted that the sleeve member 9 is'.i'slightly re-' ce'ssedb'elow the plate member 15 as'indicated at -18 to provide" proper clearance "for the operation "of thepl'ate member 15. It will 'be' noted that whenthe locking plate member 1'5'i'sin horizontal position, it engages'the sleeve 'fib 'and the wall of the: recess "16 and frictionally binds the two telescopic post sections together." However, when the" rod 12 is pres'sed'downwardly whereby the shoulder 17 will engage'the' platelmember 15- and swing the same "toward the inclined wall 10' of the operiing itwill no longer lock the two sections together with the result that the springs '7 inthe 'pbsts5 will automatically act to separate the two binderheads. i

In referring to Figure 4," it will be observed that thetwolockingposts 6 are adjacent eachfother and I the lack "actuating For plunger rods 12. are

and extends over the plunger actuating bar at which point it is deflected downwardly as indicated at 200. for engaging said bar. 1 The lever 22 extends beyond the bar 20 asufficient distance to provide proper leverage and its free end is in the form of a push button 2 t whichis normally pressed outwardly by means" ofa leaf spring-25 ing member. The binder head 3 is provided with an'aperture 26 asshown in Figure 2- just :above thepush button i 24 J ofthe lever 22 so that the finger of an operator may be inserted through the aperture '26. for depressing the lever 22' against the tension of the spring 25 andlthrough the instrumentality of the bar 20 depressingthe plunger rods 12 'for releasingthe locking elements 15 as previouslyexplained so that the springs? in the posts 5 may separate the-binder heads.

- In Figure T, a slightly different formof locking post has been illustrated that'may be used in place of thepost 6. -This modified .fo'rm of looking post consists of an outer sleeve section =2? and an inner sleeve section 28- which has an integral bearing atits upper portion. Below the upper bearing portion the sleeve member 28: is hollow and a sleeve member 29 is secured within the lower portion 1 of the inner member a short. distance above the lower end thereof. A plunger rod 30 extends through the bearing portions of the inner member and is provid'edwitha collar 31 adjacent the upper integral bearing an'd-acoiled springr32 is confined between the collar 31 andthe upper end of the bearing 29. Below the bearing 29, the member 28 is provided withdiametrically opposite apertures 33 into'which the ends of toggle levers. 34 extend which are pivoted-to the lower end of the plunger rod 30. In Figure-7 the plunger rod 30 is shown partially depressed in order to illustrate more clearly the actionbf the toggle levers 3.4. The spring 32 normally tends to force the plunger 'rod- 30 upwardly for frictionally enga ingtheto gle levers 34 with the outer post section 2.7 for frictionally locking the outer and inner postxsections together. :Itwill be appreciatedthat when the collar 31 engages the upper shoulder". of the hollow portion of the interior section the toggle levers 34 willsbe straightened and frictionally engage theexterior member 2'1. The toggle levers extend through apertures in the inner section 28' and frictionally engage the outer section 27, so it will be obvious that they serve to frictionally lock the two post sections together. -1 In Fig. 8 there is illustrated the manner of incorporating the. locking post shown in Fig. 7 in a binder. It is incorporated in the same way as the locking post shown in Fig. 6 except that ityis necessary tobevel the slot inthe'screw head to \receivethe wedge. portions 21.- of the bridgingelernent 20. It will be obvious that pressure exerted uponthe bridging element 20 will simultaneously actuate the two modified locking posts. I e. 1

It will be appreciated'that the diiierent lockin members act in the manner of tog les and effect a very quick andstronglocking connection which,

however, requires but little effort to unlock. Moreover, the mechanism is very simple and readily manufactured and assembled in a manner that effectively retains the parts in assembled relation.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction may be varied .through a widerange-without departing from the principles of this inventioni'and I, therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

' I claim as my invention: 1.. ;A locking post for loose leaf binders compris- ,m a pair oftelescopic members, the inner member having. an aperture communicating with the outer member, a,spring pressed plunger rod slidably moun'ted in" the inner member, the inner which is attached to the inner wall of the clamp; 1

member, and plunger rod having cooperating shoulders for limiting the outward movement of said plunger andtoggle locking mechanism controlled by'said plunger rod for locking said memberstogethenw" 1 w 2, A locking post'for loose leaf binders comprising a pair of telescopic members, theinner member having upper and lower bearings and a space betwen said bearings, a plunger rod having a collar slidably mounted in -s'aid 'bearings; a spring located in said space between 1 said collar and one of said bearings and a' toggle lock for frictionally locking said-members together havingconnectionwith said' 'plunger grod.

3. In a loose leaf binder, a-pa'ir 'of-locking posts, each post comprising a pair of telescopic members-atogglezlockforfrictionally-lockingeach pair of said members together, aplung'er rod'slid ably mounted in each inner-member and connected to its toggle lock, and means without the binder for simultaneouslyactuating said plunger d i. '1'." .f5.-;I.'.1.' a 4. In a loose leaf binder, apa'ir of locking posts, each-comprising telescopicmembers, a toggle lock connecting the telescopic members of each post, a plunger rod extending'througli' each innerrnember and connected to its toggle lock, and-means including a leveractuated-externally jof the binder for simultaneously actuating saidplunger rodsfor unlocking said-toggle locks.

. 5. In aloose leaf binden a'pairof locking posts, each comprising telescopic members, a toggle lock connecting the telescopic members of each post, a' plunger rod extending-'-"throug h each inner member andconne'cted to itstoggle look, a bridging member engaging the-outer ends of said plunger rods and a lever for actuating said bridging member, said binder-"having anap'erture for expwing' said lever. w 6." In a loose-leaf binder, a locking post comprising an outer tubular member, an inner tubular member having an aperture communicatingwith the outer member, said-inner member'fhaving upper and lower bearings,- a plunger rod extending throughsaid bearings, a collar upon said rod. acoil spring surrounding said rod between said collar and lower bearingand a frictional looking member between said rod and outerme'mber and extending through "said aperture and actuatable by said plunger-rod for releasing its frictional engagement with the outer'member'. 7. In a loose leaf binder, a locking post com-- prising a pairof telescopic members, the inner member having upper "and lower bearings, 'a plunger rod slidably mountedin said bearings, a collar upon said rod, "a coil spring between said collar 'and lower bearing and a locking lever of each post, a plunger rod extending through adapted to increasingly exert pressure in a direction substantially normal to the direction of movement of the plunger rod, said locking lever being associated with said rod for frictionally engaging the outer member, said inner member having an aperture through which said lever extends.

8. In a loose leaf binder, a pair of locking posts, each comprising telescopic members, locking 10 mechanism connecting the telescopic members the inner member of each post, and connected to the locking mechanism therein, a depressible,

bridging device extending over the outer ends of said plungers, and a lever engaging said bridging device for depressing the same and simultaneously depressing said plungers, said binder having an aperture through which said lever may be enaged.

PAUL O. UNGER. 

